Monday, 6 March 2017

Working a Salford Corporation Tram in 1917 ............ Salford women in uniform

I like the way that stories have a habit of reappearing and
so it is with Miss Rebecca Chapman of Hodson Street who in 1918 began work with
Salford Corporation as a “clippie” on the trams.

My old friend David Harrop acquired her contract, license
and handbook and they featured on the blog back in May.*

And because it was such a good story she made her way into
my new book on Manchester and the Great War due out in February 2017.**

Now yes I know the title is Manchester and the Great War,
but by the very nature of things people didn’t adhere to strict geographical boundaries.

They moved from area to area, lived in
Manchester but worked in Salford and Trafford and swapped homes and work
places.

So a little bit of Salford has got into the book, and quite
right too.

All of which is an introduction to a new short series
featuring photographs of Salford women in uniform and given Miss Chapman’s
contribution I have started with a picture of a clippie from 1917.

And I rather think she is holding her handbook which gave detailed instructions on how to work the tram, what to do in emergencies and the pay scales awarded to clippies.

There was even a few pages dedicated to making notes.

Miss Chapman had written soon after joining the Corporation that "she had fallen off the tram"

it was the only entry so I guess she never fell off again.

Location; Salford

Picture; Instructions to Female Conductors from the collection of David Harrop, and "uniformed woman worker with Salford Tramways," 1917,
m08109,, courtesy of Manchester
Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

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Manchester Remembering 1914-18

Other books ..... The Story of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester Pubs, Hough End Hall, The Story Didsbury Through Time, The Pubs and Bars of Chorlton ........Coming soon ......The history of the Together Trust